Halton Hills ranked 37th Best Place to Live in Canada

Moneysense magazine has ranked Canadian municipalities with populations over 10,000 according to its criteria for making a community a great place to live. Ranking 37 out of 190 is interesting but we need to look at what those indicators are and how the scoring works to understand what it means. The link to find out how system worked can be found at the end of this article.

How can we account for Halton Hills being 37th whereas Vancouver is ranked 56?

The 190 municipalities were ranked on the following criteria: Walking/Biking to Work, Affordable Housing, Household Income, Discretionary Income, New Cars, Population Growth, Low Crime, Doctors per 1,000, Weather, Jobless Rate and Culture. 

Ottawa came out as number 1 for the 3rd year in a row. Congratulations to Burlington for being number 2.
You might expect that these communities would be near the top in all of the rankings but in fact they are moderate for the most part and great in one or two categories.  In the case of Burlington what really helped was that their Crime Rate was ranked number 3 and the weather was number 1. The Crime Rate is a Halton Regional number so Halton Hills shared the 3rd place ranking with Burlington, Oakville and Milton.

Vancouver was 190th, or worst for Affordable Housing but they were number 1 for Culture.

We all have different reasons for choosing where we live. Our own survey showed that  Halton Hills residents value our small town feel above all else. The Moneysense survey didn't ask people why they chose to live where they did but rather tried to identify what those reasons might be.

Interestingly, some of the things not measured were Taxes, Population Density, Condition of Roads, Parks and Recreation Opportunities, Transportation System or Diversity.

I wonder what you would put for your criteria to determine the best place the live? Would you weight them all equally?

http://list.moneysense.ca/rankings/best-places-to-live/2012/Default.aspx?sp2=4&sc1=0&d1=a

SUSTAINABILITY - WHAT THE HECK IS THAT?



Sustainability Committee Meeting - March 1 2012


On Monday night Halton Hills Council will approve engaging consultants to move the Town’s Sustainability Project forward to a conclusion by the end of this summer.


Many communities in Canada and around the world are tackling the issue of sustainability by producing plans to help them achieve their goals.

In Halton Hills, Mayor Bonnette initiated our Town Sustainability Advisory Committee last year. Residents representing a vast array of interests and expertise were recruited and given the task of figuring out what sustainability meant and how we should proceed towards creating a plan.

In the past year, this committee made several important recommendations, one of which was to take this process as far as possible themselves without the assistance of an outside consultant. They formed 4 committees and proceeded to define goals that would address the following 4 major areas of interest: environmental, social, economic and cultural. These have now been dubbed the 4 Pillars of Sustainability.

Last Wednesday evening the committee and members of the sub-committees assembled to present their vision and goals. It was impressive to see amount of thought that each group had devoted to each area of inquiry.

Now the job is to take these goals and test them with the wider community to see if they are meaningful to our residents and businesses and then come up with an implementation plan. The task is beyond the ability of our volunteers and so now expert assistance is necessary.

Considering that we are spending $50,000 on the consultants it is important that we all understand what sustainability is and why we are bothering. In the end, what will be different?

Locally, Sustainability grew out of the Mayor’s Green Plan which looked at how the Town could reduce its use of non-renewable resources and was focused entirely on environmental goals.

I think of Sustainability as looking at the overall well-being and vitality of our community by identifying the social, cultural and economic aspirations of our residents. Using a sustainability framework these goals are constantly tested against the underlying and ever-present environmental goals. It also works in reverse with the environmental aspirations being tested against the social, cultural and economic goals.

Normally the 4 pillars are portrayed as being equal and demanding of equal attention. In a perfect world these 4 pillars would be in balance. But in the real world we could expect them to be out of balance. The important thing is to have a decision making process in place that forces one to consider all four pillars and to think about the long term implications for achieving and retaining the desired balance.

The goal in the end is to make decisions, on an ongoing basis, that ensures Halton Hills continues to be a great place to live and work while at the same time reducing our environmental impact and if anything, improving our local environment.

Fluoridation of Halton's Water Confirmed After 10 Hour Debate

Yesterday Halton Regional Council debated the merits of continuing to fluoridate our public water supply. After nearly 10  hours and 29 delegations, the final decision was unclear until the moment the vote was called. In an 11 to 9 vote the decades long practice of adding fluoride to Halton's drinking water was confirmed.

Regional Council previously debated this issue in November of 2008. The decision at that time was to defer further consideration until Health Canada had finished its review of the research literature . It has taken a further 3 years of waiting but at last we do have the benefit of this thorough analysis. Health Canada concluded that fluoridation at the recommended level of .7ppm is safe, and effective in reducing the number of cavities in the general population.

During the last 6 months a steady stream of emails came to my 'in box'  imploring me to vote against fluoridation. On the other hand vast amounts of research data also arrived at my home courtesy of our Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Bob Nosal.  I also followed the fluoride debates as they popped up around the world from Florida, to Maine and Windsor to Auckland.
The 10 hour marathon meeting was quite extraordinary in that all  20 Regional Councillors were fully engaged throughout the day as delegation after delegation presented their particular point of view. Expert delegates included Dr. Peter Cooney, Chief Dental Officer, Health Canada, Dr. Arlene King, Ontario Chief medical Officer of Health, Dr. Robert Wood, Royal College of Dentists of Canada, Professor U of T.
The list went on and on of expert advisers who repeatedly reminded us of several pertinent points;

• Dental caries (cavities) is one of the most prevalent infectious diseases and as such it is also associated with many other diseases and poor health
• Scientific evidence must be weighted by its quality and applicability. In brief a study using humans is attributed a higher weight than a study using animals. In the case of fluoride we have ample opportunity to test it with humans. 
• Thorough reviews of the literature such as was done by Health Canada conclude that fluoride is effective at reducing cavities and that fluoride at the recommended concentration does not cause the myriad of diseases that are sometimes attributed to it 
• 90 national and international health and dental health organizations support fluoridation ( including Health Canada and the World Health Organization)
• Any substance in the wrong dosage can be poisonous. One can literally die from drinking too much water. As Dr. Wood illustrated, a bottle of tylenol pills will kill you but 2 pills will have a beneficial effect by reducing pain. It is all about the appropriate dosage. 
• The fluoride in toothpaste should be treated with respect as it is much much more concentrated than what is in the water. So much so that great care should be taken to not swallow it. 
• Water fluoridation is the great equalizer in that the poor who do not have dental plans or available funds for dental work benefit the most due to the reduced rate of dental decay. 

There were of course many delegations who called for Halton to stop fluoridation. Their presentations were of interest and raised many questions. One recurring theme was the desire to have choice. It was also apparent that many are inadvertently making the choice by switching to bottled water. Dentists have noticed that the trend to bottled water has caused an increase in cavities and weakened tooth enamel in those making this choice.

In the end I chose to support fluoridation of our water supply because I believe it is wise to rely on the advice of experts who were unanimous in their support of the practice. At the same time I asked our MOH Dr. Nosal to revisit the information that we provide in our Pre Natal Classes. I think it is incumbent on us to inform new parents of the hazards of fluoride for infants. They need to know that young children should either use unfluoridated toothpaste or they should use only a very small amount of fluoridated toothpaste where they are taught to never swallow it.

If anyone is interested, the full 10 hours of the meeting can be viewed on the Region's website, http://www.halton.ca/cms/One.aspx?portalId=8310&pageId=72892
Should you actually take a look at it, I think you will be impressed by desire of Regional Councillors to fully understand the issue and come to an informed decision. Although many think that a health issue of such importance should be the purview of the provincial level of government, I believe that Halton Region handled it exceptionally well.

Royal Botanical Gardens Receives Financial Shot in the Arm

MP Mike Wallace and MPP Ted McMeekin Announce Funding

This morning I attended the much anticipated and welcome announcement of infrastructure funding at the Royal Botanical Gardens. MP Mike Wallace announced $7million in Federal Funding. Minister Ted McMeekin MPP announced a matching $7million. The $14 million funding is for the rejuvenation of the famous Rock Garden at RBG.
As an  RBG Board member, I am thrilled with the announcement. This funding is badly needed as the Rock Garden has structural problems that need immediate fixing, such as the septic and irrigation systems.
The Rock Garden is actually located in Hamilton whereas the RBG Centre, in the photo above is located in Burlington and is therefore in Halton Region.
The Rock Garden gets rave reviews but it is the things that are unseen by the public that were a concern to the RBG staff. The overhaul is long overdue and will add new vitality to what is the anchor tourist attraction in the Region. $14 million will make a huge difference to the RBG in a similar vein to the addition of the award winning  Camilla and Peter Dalglish Atrium, pictured above  and the adjacent Aldershot Escarpment Garden.

Georgetown Bach Chorale Offers Gorgeous Performance

Antique Harpishord

Last night I had the pleasure of attending the Georgetown Bach Chorale's 2011 Christmas Concert at the lavishly decorated residence of their conductor, Ron Greidanus.
It is hard to say who stole the show as there were several worthy candidates. Was it the eye popping decorations that reportedly take a week to install? Or perhaps the readings of the always entertaining  Vera Macdonald and Yvonne Oldaker? Or could it be the haunting rendition of Silent Night?
All three were the subject of much discussion at a social event following the presentation.
The residential venue itself is unique with beamed cathedral ceilings, mellow paneling and stone hearths all aglow with thousands of baubles and flickering candles.
The musical offerings had their origins in English, Irish and Basque traditions accompanied by Ron Greidanus on harpsichord and Avery Maclean on recoder.
The evening offered a unique and enjoyable Christmas experience rarely found in communities this size.

GDHS Music Students Overcome Loss of Teacher With Impressive Performance

On Friday December 9th Georgetown District High School lost a great teacher and mentor when Ms Eleanor Wallace was transferred without notice to another school. Ms Wallace provided 28 years of dedicated excellent leadership to the music students at GDHS. Through those years the GDHS bands garnered many awards of merit in provincial and national competitions.
My daughter was a band member for 5 years and so I was well aware of the wonderful program available to our local students. It was definitely one of the most rewarding aspects of high school for my daughter.
Plans for the GDHS Christmas concert had to be completely reworked when it turned out that no teachers would be available to lead the bands and choir. Although the students were distraught over the loss of their beloved teacher, they rallied by deciding to put on the show by themselves.
I was invited by the students to attend their concert and took them up on the invitation. It was one of my best decisions of the year.
I have attended many GDHS concerts but this was an outstanding one. It had been billed as "A Classy Christmas" and it certainly was.
The very poised master of ceremonies welcomed us and introduced the first performance.
The Wind Ensemble, all 60 members filed onto the stage quietly, sat and awaited their student conductor, Geoff Chen. The tuxedo clad Chen strode onto the stage, bowed to the audience and then took control of the Ensemble.
And then it began - a  performance to make a teacher proud. The students obviously intended to pay tribute to their teacher and illustrate the passion and musical precision that had been instilled in them . They certainly succeeded.
Each band and choir was lead by a different student conductor and each time the musicians paid close attention and performed marvellously.
And just to take it over the top, we were treated to a string quartet performing chamber music, a gifted opera singer belting out an aria in Russian no less, and finally a showstopping performance of Rachmaninoff  by Grade 12 concert pianist Thomas Dobrovich. Wow!

It is sad that these kids have lost their leader but on the bright side, they have had the benefit of wonderful mentorship and inspiration. They have proven that great leadership produces great results. Wherever inspiration shows up the kids respond. And now these kids have proven to themselves what they are capable of and that will serve them well throughout their lives.
Thank you Ms Wallace for making such a huge difference in the lives of hundreds of grateful students.

New bridge links North and South Hungry Hollow Trails

Pictured above is the new installed bridge that links the north side (Dawson Cres.) and south side (Miller Drive) trails through Hungry Hollow in Georgetown. Also shown is construction under way on the boardwalk on the north side. The boardwalk is necessary to protect the delicate environment and make the trail passable during wet weather.

This new link will be welcome by all of the trail users since it doubles the trails that are available from any entry point to the trails network.

In conversation with the contractors I heard that virtually every resident who has approached the construction site has commented on how pleased they are that the Town is investing in the valley. This is great feedback. It isn't surprising since anyone who has walked these trails will appreciate what a treasure we have in this valley and how accessible it has become with the formalization of the trails.

Providing our residents with the ability to stroll through a natural area in a valley setting allows them to escape the hustle and bustle of urban life. Suddenly you can hear the birds singing. Most of the time you can't see any housing or buildings of any kind. You would be hard pressed to know exactly where you are. It really is a great escape.

Congratulations to our Town staff for designing this wonderful project and thanks to our contractors for doing such a great job with very limited damage to the surrounding area.

What is Canada Doing?

Climate Change Conference -Durban, South Africa

So it has come to this. China is in a position to criticize Canada for our lack of  action on climate change, and they don't look silly doing it. Virtually every other country in the world including China has a presence at the conference, showing off what they are doing to be progressive, while Canada apparently has nothing to show. We have a closed door that says clearly to the whole world "Canada doesn't care". See Globe and Mail report from Dec 7th http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/low-profile-in-durban-relegates-canada-to-margins-of-climate-debate/article2262549/
This is a federal agenda  that stands at odds with what I see and hear every day as a local and regional municipal politician. Canadian municipalities and provinces are taking climate change seriously and investing  huge amounts of staff time and resources into making changes to reduce our carbon foot print. Our small town of Halton Hills alone has invested in geothermal heating for all of our new buildings constructed in the last 5 years. That includes 2 fire halls and 2 libraries, not to mention one heritage house.
How can our federal government be so disconnected from the people it governs? How can it care so little about our reputation internationally? How can it deny there is a problem?
To quote  Geoffry York in the referenced  Globe and Mail report, "While Canada remains low profile, its reputation is taking a beating. "It's incurring diplomatic damage that will take years to repair," said Radoslav Dimitrov, a Canadian professor and member of the European Union delegation at Durban.
Add to this that we are now ranked 54th out of 61 countries on an index for carbon emissions and climate policies according to a German environmental group. This is not the sort of publicity that I would like for my Country.
I can remember thinking of Canada as a LEADING country, not a laggard. The odd thing is that I still think of Halton Region and Halton Hills as leaders and innovators. I believe that people in municipalities across this country think the same way about their cities and towns. I have learned about progress across Canada via my attendance at the Canadian Federation of Municipalities annual conferences.
The performance of Canada on the world stage is a great disappointment and embarrassment to this Canadian.
Meanwhile there is an on-line petition that can be accessed at http://www.avaaz.org/.  protesting efforts to derail climate change talks. At the time of writing the petition was over 640,000 and growing by the second. As people sign up  their name comes up on a scrolling list which  includes a little nationality flag. People from around the world are signing and lots of Canadian flags are showing up too. I don't think they are too happy with the Canadian performance at Durban either.

Innovation and Care in Condo Construction Pays Dividends in Milton



Today a group of Halton Regional representatives had an opportunity to tour a new residential condo development in downtown Milton that is just 3 weeks away from occupancy. The development is by Del Ridge Homes and the tour was lead by  Dave De Sylva and George Le Donne, the driving forces behind this new style of condo development.

Pictured above is the tour group on the roof of the Green Life Condo where the racking structure that will support the photo voltaic panels is being installed. This is the most obvious difference between this and the average condo. However it is but one of many features that make this building completely different from anything else on the market.

It is ironic that CBC radio has been airing a series on the glass towers of downtown Toronto. These towers are being referred to as "throw away buildings". The contrast is quite remarkable. The Toronto towers feature window walls that offer next to zero insulation and require elaborate engineering to overcome their deficiencies. The window walls are predicted to fail within 20 years.

Contrast that to the Green Life Condo. It has super insulated walls right down to the second basement level. The basement/parking levels (pictured above) require no heating as the area stays above freezing all winter relying only on mother nature for its warmth. The thick walls, having been bulked up with insulation, create attractive wide window ledges framing the triple glazed windows. Geothermal heating and cooling is complemented by a heat recovery system.

The walls achieve R 44 and the roof is at R 70.

The net result is a building that will not need to be supported by nuclear plants or coal fired plants or even gas pipelines. The residents will have next to zero condo fees and their energy bills will be unbelievably low - forever.

This is the kind of building that people will deed to their children and the kids will fight about who gets to move in. 

Contrast the impact on society between the 2 building philosophies. In one case, the glass is beginning to fall off the side of the buildings and will cause untold financial hardship on the buyers. The energy requirements to heat and cool the buildings will continue for the life of the building. All of this has an impact on green house gases and the cost of infrastructure to support its energy needs.

In the other case, the building is solid and care has been taken to reduce its net carbon footprint to zero. 

The thing is that apart from the solar panels, none of it is rocket science. Insulation is old technology. And everyone knows that glass is a conductor of energy not an insulator. Heat exchangers are simple things. 

What I cannot understand is why the Green Life style of building is not mandatory. Why do we have a building code that allows anything less? 

As a municipal politician it is my job to push developers in our town to build at a higher standard. I am proud to say that in Halton Hills we do have a Green Checklist that developers must satisfy before we allow them to build. But there is more to be done to make housing more efficient and more durable. 

Congratulations to Dave De Sylva and George Le Donne for proving that attention to energy efficiency does not mean the building is unaffordable, unattractive or lacking a market. Green Life sold out in a flash and new projects are taking shape in Oakville and Markham. Someday I hope to see them in Halton Hills.  

7 Billion and Growing

Today our planet reached a human population of 7 billion people. That number is beyond comprehension, but the more remarkable part is the rate at which we got to 7 billion. However, my subject is not our numbers but rather, the pressing need to adapt.

Can we adapt fast enough to sustain this growth in human population?
Adaptation is essential and the concept is likely well accepted. However, on most fronts adaptation  is sluggish and lacking in  focus and urgency.

If I was to form an action plan based on my  view  from my window, I wouldn't change a thing. From my personal perspective  it is hard to imagine a more benign environment on the entire planet than the one I see here in Georgetown, Ontario, Canada. It is only when I look at the scientific data and the long term trends that the urgency becomes apparent.

For me it is a real joy to meet people who believe in adaptation and are willing to invest in it and  talk about it with enthusiasm and optimism. Yesterday I had the opportunity to hear such a person who isn't just talking about it, he is doing it. That person is Dave de Sylva, partner in Del Ridge Homes along with George Le Donne.

They have made business choices based on principles of sustainability. They are shunning old building practices and adopting new ones that make more sense on every level including economic.

They are set to build the Green Life Business Centre, Canada's first Net Positive Condo Office Building in Milton, Ontario. Net positive means that this office building will create more energy than it uses. It won't be a drain; it will be a faucet, pouring energy into the grid instead of sucking it out, burning it up and spewing waste into the atmosphere.

This is not their first project to be at or near "Net Positive". They have built residential condos that have condo fees so low people wonder what the catch is. There is no catch. These buildings are built in a different way to firstly, reduce energy waste and secondly, use the renewable energy that is in the ground  below and in the sky above.

Dave de Sylva and George Le Donne understand that we have a very big problem to solve and so they have set out to do what they can to solve it. They get absolutely no help from any level of government to do this and yet they are steadfast in their personal pursuit of responsible action.

The things that Del Ridge Homes is doing should be incorporated into our building code so that all of our new buildings, whether they are residential, commercial, industrial or institutional are built to reduce energy wastage and make optimal use of sustainable energy sources.

In my opinion this is a wonderfully optimistic story of determination and positive action to adapt to important threats that are all to easy to ignore if one is looking out the window in Georgetown Ontario Canada.

http://www.sbmagazine.ca/archives/42

Buy American - A Threat to Canada's Economic Recovery

President Barak Obama Presents Jobs Plan

http://www.thespec.com/opinion/editorial/article/594360--fighting-buy-american-policies-again

Above is a link to a very good editorial in the Hamilton Spectator that emphasizes the impact to both Canada and the US economic recovery.
The problem with this plan is just as true for the American economy as it is for the Canadian economy.
For example, an American company that makes a water pump for a sewage treatment plant may source some of its component parts from Canada. Perhaps these parts make up 5% of the cost of the pump. Under the proposed legislation, the American company that is producing a 95% American manufactured product is disqualified from federally funded infrastructure projects.
This is not an unusual scenario. During the last go round, American companies that were negatively affected got busy organizing their protests against the unintended consequences of disqualifying Canadian content. A long list of major manufacturing organizations wrote letters to President Obama indicating their displeasure and asking for changes in the legislation.
Unfortunately, during the last Buy American program the deal that exempted Canadian content was only reached at the very end of the legislation's life and so the beneficial effects were minimal.
It would seem that legislators in Washington are uninformed of the true nature of the trading relationship between the US and Canada. There is an integration that exists that is quite remarkable. A product made in the US may use Steel that began in the US, traveled to Hamilton  for processing and then went back to the US for assembly. Yes, the product was assembled in the US and was predominantly produced there but the brief journey across the border contaminated the total product and disqualified its use in federally funded infrastructure.
When the issue is jobs, anything that strangles the US-Canada trading relationship is counter productive for both economies. Kudos to Minister Edward Fast for jumping on this issue immediately.

"Buy American" Resurfaces with Obama Jobs Plan

It comes as quite a surprise to learn of President Obama's "American Jobs Act" which was unveiled this week since it contains the same "Buy American" provisions that Canada fought against 2 years ago.
Pictured above is the Canadian firm, Hayward Gordon, located in Halton Hills. It was John Hayward who raised the alarm when Buy American was first introduced that effectively barred Hayward Gordon from doing business in the United States. This was a huge blow to this manufacturer of pumps used in major waterworks installations.
In response to Mr. Hayward's plight, Halton Hills Mayor Rick Bonnette went on the offensive and introduced a counter-measure. Halton Hills Council amended its Purchasing By-Law to say that the Town would not buy any product from any company that was located in a country that had trade restrictions against Canada. In other words, as long as Buy American prevailed, Halton Hills would not purchase anything from the United States. We would buy from anywhere else but not the USA.
Of course this was a case of the "mouse that roared". But this small act of defiance was just the start of a bigger campaign to convince other Canadian municipalities to likewise strike back. There is a lot of buying potential when one considers all of the purchases that municipalities make across Canada. Collectively, they carry a big stick.
This pitch was made at the annual conference of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities where the delegates agreed to give 6 months for the issue to be resolved before FCM would encourage its members to follow the Halton Hills lead.
The net result was this threat became an effective tool in the toolkit of Stockwell Day who ultimately was able to win an exemption for Canada.
So here we go again. It is a big surprise because the last time around even the American Chamber of Commerce was writing the President to say how this was negatively impacting their members.
In the meantime, the Halton Hills Purchasing By-Law is still in effect, so watch out Obama!
See today's article by John Ibbitson of the Globe and Mail. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/trade-minister-vows-to-fight-latest-buy-american-measures/article2165668/

Solar Power Leaps Forward In Georgetown, Ontario

This photo taken at a roof top celebration at BRC Sustainable Elements on Armstrong Avenue in Georgetown, Ontario held on Aug. 31st, 2011.

This massive installation sits about 10 feet above the roof, supported by a steel grid.

Owner and President of Solarform, http://www.cdnsolarform.com/ Bill Melnik gave a rousing endorsement to the future of solar. In a reference to the concept of "Peak Oil" he reminded the audience of how the search for new oil has now reached to areas beneath the polar caps. The difficulty in securing new sources is creating larger and larger risks to the environment which in turn is driving up the cost of oil. On the other hand the cost of solar is trending downward, as innovation leads to greater efficiency. At this rate it is possible that solar and oil costs could reach a par within 5 years. If that were in fact to happen it would literally change everything in the energy world.

Just think of the possibility of solar panels on all of our industrial buildings that would be completely unobtrusive and completely free of risk to the environment. Compare this to the environmental degradation we are experiencing from our own tar sands projects in northern Alberta.

As I write this, Australia is proposing a carbon tax, undoubtedly because of the climate change related droughts of recent years. Japan is proposing its own version of the FIT program, in response to the tsunami.

If solar can go up in efficiency and down in price then it will most certainly become a major source of sustainable energy for all of us. As Bill Melnik said in his remarks, Solar is limitless and renewable without any nasty environmental side effects.

Canada has the opportunity to be a world leader in solar technology and Ontario is in the vanguard. And apart from the environmental benefits, the high tech jobs are the icing on the cake.

Innovative Solar Installation Celebrated in Georgetown Ontario

Solar Panel Installation at BRC in Georgetown

Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending a unique celebration that certainly illustrated the innovation  and creativity of its chief proponent and owner, Bill Melnik.

The celebration was held on the roof of the building in this photo. Guests climbed the stairs seen on the left  to a magical space atop BRC Sustainable Elements on Armstrong Avenue in Georgetown, Ontario.

Try to envision arriving on the roof deck to find a spotlessly clean spongy floor with a steel superstructure hovering above supporting hundreds of solar panels. That was cool just by itself, but now add in a live band and impeccable catering service and you have a special celebration that no one has experienced before.

This installation is unique, possibly in the world. One would normally expect the solar panels to be attached to the roof but that is not the case at BRC. In this application a new steel superstructure was constructed to support the massive solar array. The advantage is that when the roof needs to be renewed, it can be done without interference from the solar panels.

Bill Melnik owns both BRC and its building as well as the solar company, Solarform which did the installation. Another building further down Armstrong Avenue has just received the same treatment from Solarform and the building next door has just signed on as well.

The BRC installation covers the 35,000 sq. ft. building and is expected to generate 365 megawatts of electricity annually or enough power to service 30 homes. Annually this will save over 197 tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

Bill Melnik is a real believer in the future of solar energy. In his remarks he noted that Japan has started its own FIT program similar to Ontario's as it weans itself off of nuclear energy. In the past few years the efficiency of solar has improved by 20% and the cost has declined by 40%. At this rate of improvement he foresees solar becoming competitive with oil in as little as 5 years!

It would appear that Ontario is on the right track with its FIT program when it is obvious that it has triggered innovation and efficiencies within Ontario in this emerging technology.

Total Community Effort Recognized By Health Minister Deb Matthews

Health Minister Deb Matthews, in making her remarks to large gathering at Georgetown Hospital on August 31st,noted that although $2.6 million for Georgetown Hospital may sound like "a rounding error" in a budget the size of the Ministry of Health, the fact is that there are dozens of hospitals across the province that are asking for that same money. So why were we successful in getting the money when Halton Health Care has already received its fair share of the pie?

The Minister said that the "all out" community effort played a pivitol role in our success. In particular she noted Mayor Bonnette had been tenacious in pursuing the funding and that our Council's unanimous support via a special levy was very important in illustrating that we were all committed to the project and recognized it as a top priority for our community.

The Minister was also gracious in her remarks about the effort our MPP Ted Arnott had made to put this issue in front of the Ministry. Likewise she noted that our Liberal  Candidate, Councillor Moya Johnson had also spoken passionately to her about the importance of this project.

The people in the picture above all played key roles in making this funding a reality. From left to right John Fleming, Chair of the Board of Halton Healthcare, John Oliver, CEO HHC, Graeme Goebelle, Chair of Mississauga Halton LHIN, Dr. Don Trant, Minister Deb Matthews, Cindy McDonell, Georgetown Hospital Site Administrator, MPP Ted Arnott, Mayor Rick Bonnette, Councillor Moya Johnson, and seated in front Dr. Jeff Sutherland, chief of staff Georgetown Hospital.

Minister Deb Matthews Announces $2.6 Million for Georgetown Hospital

Pictured above is Minister Deb Matthews as she made the wonderful announcement this morning that the Ministry has approved $2.6 Million for the Emergency Room Expansion and CT scanner room at Georgetown Hospital. There was a "standing room only" crowd on hand in the Activity Room at the Hospital to hear the good news.
The Minister acknowledged the fact that this hospital was built in 1961 and hasn't had an expansion or overhaul since that time. The crowd burst into cheers and applause at the announcement because although they expected good news, they didn't expect the Minister to exceed the ask of $1.9 million.

The Minister also joked that she now thinking of herself not as the Minister of Health but now the Minister of Halton Healthcare, given the recent announcements of funding for Oakville Trafalgar Hospital and most recently funding for Milton Hospital. Although Joseph Brant Hospital isn't in Halton Healthcare, it is in Halton Region and has also received positive news on funding an expansion.

This support from the provincial government is great for Halton Hills and illustrates that the current government does recognize that growth areas are in need of provincial investment.

It has taken a very long time to make this commitment a reality at Georgetown Hospital. The crowd was made up of many community leaders who have pushed for this funding for quite some time. The Halton Healthcare CEO John Oliver would be among those since he was the CEO of Georgetown Hospital in the early 90's prior to amalgamation. Dr. Don Trant, another former CEO of Georgetown Hospital was on hand and noted that he really thought he was never going to see the day when this actually happened.

Minister Matthews said that this announcement was not only about the funding but was also approval for the project to proceed. This is just as important as the funding and means that this project can go to tender immediately.

The ball is now in our court to raise the community share of $5 million. This represents the largest fundraising campaign ever in our town. With Fred Helson's exceptional personal gift of $1 million we are well on our way. We are a generous community and so I expect that, with this provincial support in hand, the campaign will quickly meet its goal.

Moya Johnson wins Liberal nomination for Wellington-Halton Hills

Last night I attended the Liberal nomination meeting for the riding of Wellington Halton Hills. There was a large enthusiastic crowd at the Rockwood Library to hear Moya make her first speech which was very well received. I am enthusiastic about Moya's campaign as I have worked with Moya for 14 years as ward mates on Halton Hills Town Council. It was my previlege to officially nominate Moya.
For the record, here are some exerpts from my speech.

The search for the best possible candidate, meant finding someone who has significant political experience, someone who is well respected, someone who has illustrated a passion for the liberal party goals and aspirations, someone who is articulate, and someone who is courageous enough to put themselves out in front of the public eye and someone who cares enough about the future of this province and in particular the future of this community and riding to make the sacrifices necessary to achieve success.


I am here tonight to nominate that special person, my friend and long time colleague, Moya Johnson.
Moya and I go back a long long way. We were both members of the Georgetown University Women’s Club 20 years ago and participated in a number of small political activities such as a group from the club who took turns attending town council meetings and reporting back to the club.
At that time a fellow club member Gail Rutherford decided to run for council and both Moya and I volunteered to help her out in the campaign. Gail was elected to represent Ward 3. After 3 years Gail decided that she didn’t wish to carry on and so there was an opening for someone to fill. Moya stepped up to fill that void. I had no political aspirations of my own at the time but was filled with admiration for Moya taking the plunge into local politics.
 However, 3 years later, there was another opening in Ward 3 and I also threw my hat in the ring. Since that time 14 years ago, Moya and I have worked together for the betterment of Ward 3 and the Town in general.

 I am here nominating Moya because I have seen first hand in Moya all of the qualities that I listed previously.

 Moya has proven herself through her role as chair of the Accessibility Committee, where she was a champion for more accessible town facilities and services. And as Chair of the Fire Services Committee, championing improved facilities, and now as Chair of the Heritage Committee, where she has supported the preservation of our local heritage buildings.

Her concern for safety and health are ever present

She has an inquiring mind and asks many questions to ensure that she has a full understanding of the issues.

She has been fearless in presenting her view even when her view differs from the majority, such as voting for public transit.
 She is unafraid of hard work and made holding down 2 jobs look easy. But believe me, few people would be on that early GO Train after getting home at midnight following a long drawn out council meeting. But Moya did it.

When a complaint comes from the public, Moya is right on top of it, finding out more about the problem and working to find a solution.

•For 17 years she has provided the public with exemplary service

•Stepping up to run for a seat in provincial parliament is a big decision. It means putting a lot of things in your life on hold, such as babysitting one’s cherished grandchildren. It means contemplating getting back on the GO train for another 4 years. It means letting go of local projects and letting others pick up the slack. It means getting to know communities throughout the vast riding and making all of them equal priorities. It means changing focus from purely local issues to adding in broader provincial issues.

.But Moya is up to the challenge. She is enthusiastic and energetic and will make a fabulous MPP.

So I am very pleased and proud and honoured to be nominating my friend and colleague Moya Johnson as the Liberal candidate for the riding of Wellington - Halton Hills.

Local Resident speaks out about highway 4.3

Below are exerpts from a letter send from local Halton Hills resident Peter Belshaw Ph. D. Chemistry/Biochemistry. The letter was sent to the GTA West Consultant Project Manager Neil Ahmed project_team@gta-west.com with a copy to the Transportation Minister Kathleen Wynne kwynne.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org.

Building this highway extension through rural farmland and residential areas will have an enormous impact on the environment, far greater than what is claimed in the phase 1 environmental assessment. The proposed route of the highway will divide south Halton Hills creating a new southern boundary for the town, in the years to come, it is likely that every inch of land between the 401 and the proposed 4-3 extension will be developed commercial/industrial as a result of this new highway. In addition a band of commercial/industrial development would also occur to the immediate north of the 4-3 extension. The net result would be that all the farmland in rural Halton Hills would eventually be developed/paved. The environmental assessment in the draft report only appears to consider the direct impacts of the 4 lanes initially proposed, not the future development of the highway, nor the commercial/industrial development that is likely to follow. The increased vehicular traffic and future commercial/industrial development will also result in a significant lowering of air quality and an increase in noise pollution in the region. The proposed 4-3 extension would also result in the loss of some of the best farmland in Canada. Given that only 8% of Canada’s land is tillable (source: former MP Julian Reed of Halton Hills, citizens meeting open comment June 23rd, 2011 Glen Cairn Golf Course), we should not be paving/developing our best farmland. Given global warming and peak oil, we will need these resources when a few million climate refugees arrive on our doorstep in the foreseeable future (just look at the water wars already happening in the US southwest).

In my judgment (as a Ph.D. scientist Chemistry/Biochemistry), the environmental assessment in the draft report is a complete joke worthy of derision and jest were it not so frightening/impacting towards the south Halton Hills region.

Dr. Belshaw makes many other points in his letter regarding alternatives to the new highway which he has given me permission to share as I will continue to do in a future blog.
In the meantime, be sure to pick up a postcard and send it to Minister Wynne if you are also concerned that this proposed highway spells the end of your vision for Halton Hills. Postcards are available at the many locations around town, including the Civic Centre. Check out the town's website for locations http://www.haltonhills.ca/

Did Anyone Ask the Farmers?

This is a typical piece of southern Halton Hills where the province proposes to construct a new 400 series highway. This is exactly where option 4.3 will  go if it is approved.
At yesterday's Planning at Public Works Meeting at Halton Region where we discussed option 4.3, there was also a presentation by the Greater Toronto Area Agricultural Action Committee. I took the opportunity to ask their representative, Janet Horner, if the GTA West team had consulted with the GTA AAC. To my absolute astonishment, she said no. And then she emphasized the word NO!
Think about it. The GTA West corridor from Vaughn to Tremaine Road in Milton runs almost exclusively through farmland, most of it the very best farmland in Canada. The GTA West consulting team was charged with the responsibility of consulting with all affected parties. And they didn't ask the farmers! Of course the 300 residents who came out to the meeting on June 23rd at Glencairn Golf Course all felt that they had not been consulted either and they live in the path of the highway.
But really, not consulting with the farming community is so unacceptable it is beyond belief. It was only a couple of months ago that I attended a GTA AAC Farming Summit that was very well run and very well attended. It was sponsored by the Government and yet they same Government didn't consult with them.
If you read the EA report you will find a glib statement that in the design of the highway, impacts to agriculture will be mitigated. How do traffic engineers have any idea of what to mitigate if they didn't even talk to the farmers who will be affected?

Regional Councillors support Halton Hills Position on GTA West Highway 4.3

Halton Regional Staff Report responding to the GTA West Corridor recommendations was supportive of option 4.2 that brings the proposed 400 series highway north /south beside Heritage Road and then swings into Halton Hills to join the 407 - 401 Interchange. However, the report was ambivalent concerning the proposed additional leg of this highway known as alternative 4.3 that would run east/west somewhere between Georgetown and Steeles Avenue.
In my mind, this was not a time for ambivalence. In consultation with Mayor Bonnette and Regional Councillor Clark Somerville we wrote an amendment to the report that in my opinion was more in keeping with the Region's Official Plan and the newly endorsed Strategic Plan.
The Strategic Plan was crafted with the input of many Halton Residents particularly the Citizen's Refernce Panel. Input from a wide variety of sources confirmed more or less the the vision that was already articulated in the Official Plan.
To quote from the Amendment " the Strategic Plan says "the Region's vision is to preserve for the current and future generations a landscape that is rich, diverse, balanced, productive and sustainable and a society that is economically strong, equitable and caring. The Region must plan for communities where urban sprawl is minimized, where infrastructure is maximized, where natural heritage is protected and natural spaces and farmland are preserved. the overall goal is to enhance the quality of life for all people of Halton today and into the future".

"This vision will be very difficult if not impossible to maintain if alternative 4.3 is approved since the proposed route essentially bisects the agricultural area of halton Hills, thus fragmenting farms and making the industry much more difficult to sustain."

"There is a serious concern that alternative 4.3 will encourage urban sprawl. Measures to protect against urban sprawl were not articulated in the Draft Transportation Development strategy report."

"Alternative 4.3 which bisects the agricultural area south of Georgetown would pose an extremely serious blow to agricultural sustainability in Halton, would threaten the open-space character and landscape heritage of Halton and is therefore contrary to the goals in the official plan and Halton's vision for a sutainable future. For those reasons Halton cannot support alternative route 4.3."

All of the above was incorporated into the recommendation and was endorsed unanimously by the members of the Planning and Public Works Committee. The next hurdle is to have the recommendation endorsed at Regional Council next Wednesday morning.

Gaining unequivical support for the Halton Hills position from Regional Council is absolutely critical to our strategy to stop this highway and get it taken off the map. It is a great relief to have achieved unanimous support at the committee level as it means that we have support from all Halton local municipalities. It gives me confidence that we will also get a ringing endorsement at Council.

It is but one step in our fight against this highway, but it is an important one. I am very grateful to my Regional colleagues for their support today.